TEST DATE: __________
NAME:
Regents Biology
Homework Packet
Unit 1 & 2: Intro to Biology and Life Processes

Use your Biology by Miller & Levine textbook to complete and help with the following homework
assignments.

(1) Read the assigned pages, (2) Define the vocabulary, and (3) Answer the questions.

Neatness counts. Number the definitions. Write the page and number of the questions. Do your work in
ink or even type the homework. Staple the definitions and questions to the HW packet.

The homework assignment is due the day before the test. We will use the HW packet as a test review.
The completed and corrected HW packet will be collected on the day of the test. Late homework
assignments receive no credit (0). If the assignment is not turned in by the last day of the quarter the
zero grade (0) will change to -5.
Chapter 1: The Science of Biology
Read pgs. 2 – 31
p. 4 Vocabulary (9)
p. 10 Vocabulary (2)
p. 17 Vocabulary (8)
Define the following terms (15):
adaptation
organism
evolution
response
species
nutrition
transport
synthesis
development
growth
regulation
excretion
energy
stimulus
cellular respiration
Questions:
p. 9 #2a
p. 15 #2b, 4c
p. 25 #1b
Question: A student studied the effect gibberellin (a plant hormone) on the
growth of corn seedlings of the same height and species. A different
concentration of gibberellin in a fixed volume of water was applied to 7
groups of 10 plants each maintained under the same environmental
conditions for the duration of the experiment. At the end of this period, the
height of each plant was measured. The data are shown in the table.
a) Write a possible hypothesis for this experiment.
b) What is the control set up in this experiment? Why?
c) What are 3 control factors (variables that must remain constant) for the experiment?
Regents Review:
pgs. 29 – 31 #1 - 26
Outline:
Use this outline to organize your notes.
Unit I: Life Activities = Life Processes
A. Biology
Unit: II Tools and Techniques of the Biologist
A. Scientific Method / Inquiry
1. Biologist
1. Problem
2. Organism
2. Hypothesis
B. Living vs. Non-living
3. Experimentation
C. Characteristics of Life
i. Independent Variable
D. Life Activities = Life Processes
ii. Dependant Variable
1. Nutrition
iii. Control
i. Nutrients
iv. Control Factors
ii. Ingestion
v. Reproducible Procedure
iii. Digestion
4. Observing and Measuring
iv. Egestion
5. Analyzing and Drawing
v. Autotrophic Nutrition
vi. Heterotrophic Nutrition
2. Transport
3. Respiration
i. Aerobic respiration
ii. Anaerobic respiration
iii. ATP
Conclusion
6. Theories and Laws
B. Measurements
1. SI Units
2. Graphing
C. Equipment
1. Microscopes
4. Synthesis and Assimilation
2. Centrifuge
5. Growth
3. Tissue Culture
i. Cellular Specialization
6. Excretion
7. Regulation
8. Reproduction
i. Asexual reproduction
ii. Sexual reproduction
9. Metabolism
10. Homeostasis
4. Chromatography
5. Electrophoresis
LOOKING FOR LIFE ON MARS
In 1976, two robot landers launched from Earth by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration
(NASA) landed on the surface of Mars. The landers, called Viking 1 and Viking 2, relayed weather reports and
thousands of photographs to Earth, and carried out four prepackaged experiments designed to detect life on
Mars. The designers of these experiments had to keep in mind the characteristics of life as we know it. To find
out more about what the Viking landers found, answer the following questions:
1. Before the Viking project, during the 1960s and early 1970s, several NASA spacecraft orbited Mars. The
orbiters sent back many photographs as well as atmospheric data. All of this information indicated Mars was a
lifeless planet with a surface far colder than any place on Earth. Suggest reasons why NASA scientists decided
the Viking life-detection experiments should be designed to look for microscope organisms living in Martian
soil.
2. The scientists who designed the Viking experiments tested them by making sure they could detect soil
organisms in some of the coldest, most inhospitable places on Earth. Why was this necessary?
3. All living organisms on Earth, from bacteria to humans, take in and release gases in a process called
respiration. In one of the Viking experiments, the robot arm scooped some Martian soil into a container. Known
quantities of certain nutrients and gases were added, and the container was sealed. Sensitive instruments
monitored changes in the gases inside the container. What characteristic(s) of life did this experiment depend
on? What was the experiment designed to detect?
4. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other organisms transform the energy from the sun and
CO2 into an organic compound, glucose. Carbon molecules in the glucose become incorporated in the body of
the organism. In one of the Viking experiments, a scoop of soil was placed in a container with radioactive
carbon dioxide gas. The container was exposed to artificial sunlight for a period of time, then instruments were
used to detect whether there was radioactive carbon in the soil. What would have been the result of this
experiment if photosynthesis were taking place in the Martian soil sample? Why?
5. No signs of life were detected in any of the Viking experiments. Does this result rule out any possibility of
life on Mars? Explain your answer
USING SCIENTIFIC METHODS
Scientists have long known that no plant community remains stable. Over time, existing populations of
plants in an environment will be succeeded by whole new populations. Sometimes as these changes occur, it is
difficult for the existing plant populations to continue to survive. What causes the older plants to die off?
A Testable Hypothesis
A group of researchers, led by Dr. Wim Van der Putten of the Center for Terrestrial Ecology in the
Netherlands, developed the following hypothesis. The changing plant populations in an area are controlled by
disease-causing microorganisms that develop in the soil itself. These soil-borne diseases specifically target the
existing plant inhabitants. New species that invade the area are, however unaffected by the microorganisms.
An Experimental Design
The researchers knew that marrarn grass, which is found along European coastal areas, is regularly
replaced by two other species of grasses-fescue and sand sedge. To test their hypothesis, the scientists designed
an experiment which is represented in the following diagram.
1. What were the independent variable or variables in the experiment?
2. Which factor was the dependent variable?
3. What control was used?
4. According to their hypothesis, what predictions would the researchers make about the outcome of the
experiment?
5. Suppose that fescue and sand sedge thrived in the soil in which the marram had previously grown. In order
for researchers to rule out the possibility that nutrients, or chemicals such as salt or calcium chloride, favorably
affected the new plant growth, what other observation would researchers have to make?
Word Bank: adaptations, asexual, composed of cells, development, egg,
energy, environment, homeostasis, life, low genetic variation, male,
membrane bound, multicellular, nucleus, plasma membrane, prokaryote,
reproduce , sexual, size, survive
Know the Terms
Select the most appropriate words from the following list to complete the paragraph.
respiration
synthesis
cells
anaerobic
biology
metabolism
energy
nutrition
aerobic
homeostasis
organism
reproduction
__________(1) is the study of living things. Anything that is living is called a/an __________ (2), which is
composed of one or more __________ (3) and utilizes __________(4) to maintain its organization and carry out
normal functions. This is derived through the process of __________ (5). There are two forms of this in living
organisms. One type requires the use of oxygen and is called __________ (6), __________(7) respiration does
not require oxygen. The total of all chemical reactions within an organism is called __________(8). Some of
these reactions involve building more complex molecules from less complex ones. This is called __________
(9). In all cases, however, the organism is trying to maintain a constant internal environment, called
__________ (10).
Match the word with the correct definition
a. nutrients
b. regulation
d. sexual reproduction
e. ingestion
g. transport
h. growth
j. asexual reproduction
k. metabolism
c. excretion
f. life
i. assimilation
___11. taking in food
___12. reproduction involving only one parent
___13. removal of wastes from an organism
___14. the passing of substances into or out of cells or circulation within an organism
___15. incorporation of materials into an organism
___16. reproduction involving two parents
___17. the process by which living organisms increase in size
___18. all activities that help maintain homeostasis
___ 19. quality distinguishing organisms from inorganic materials
___ 20. substances an organism takes from its environment
___ 21. control and coordination of the life processes in an organism
Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
1. You dissolve sugar in water, evaporate the water, and grow a crystal of highly organized sugar molecules.
Energy holds the molecules together in a definite form and size. You drop the crystal, and it breaks. You have
changed it into two crystals. Eventually you eat it, and it is gone. In one sentence explain why you think it was
or was not alive.
2. Why must foods be digested?
3. Why do complex organisms need transport systems?
4. What is the purpose of respiration in living organisms?
5. How are the processes of synthesis and assimilation related?
6. How do living organisms grow?
7. Where do wastes come from?
8. How do the nervous/ endocrine, and excretory systems contribute to homeostasis in animals?
9. In what way is reproduction important to living organisms?
10. What is metabolism?
Microscope Review
Label parts of the microscope and their functions.
Part
Function
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Measuring with a Microscope
8. A student using a microscope with a 20x ocular lens and 10x and 40x
objective lenses, places a ruler in the field of view under the 10x objective.
The diagram shows the metric ruler in the field of view.
a. What is the diameter of the 10x field of view?
b. What is the diameter measurement in micrometers?
c. Remember the student can not measure the field of view under high
power because the objective magnifies the image too much to make an accurate measurement. Using a formula
determine the diameter of the field of view under the 40x power.
d. What is the diameter of the 40x field of view in micrometers?
9. The student viewed the following cell under 40x objective.
a. Estimate the size of the cell, in millimeters and micrometers.
b. Which way would the student have to move the slide to center the cell?
___ 10. The diagram represents
the field of view of a compound
light microscope. If the diameter
of the field of view is 0.5
millimeter, what is the
approximate diameter of the
structure labeled X in the cell?
(1.) 500 um
(2.) 50 mm
___ 13. The diagram shows a portion of a compound
microscope. A student observes 12 onion epidermal cells along
the diameter of the low-power field. How many of these cells
would the student observe along the diameter of the high-power
(3.) 5 mm (4.) 50 um
___ 11. The diagram represents two
cells next to a metric measuring
device under the low-power objective
of a compound light microscope.
What is the approximate length of a
nucleus of one of these cells?
(1.) 100 µm
(2.) 500 µm (3.)
1000 µm
(4.) 1500 µm
field?
(1.) 48
___ 12. Figure A represents a cell as
viewed by a student using the 10X ocular and the 10X objective
of a compound light microscope. Figure B represents the same
cell as seen with a different objective. The magnification of the
objective used to observe the cell shown in figure B is most
likely
(1.) 4X
(2.) 40X
(3.) 60X
(2.) 40
(3.) 3
(4.) 24
___ 14. Which instrument was used in the 18th and 19th
centuries and helped scientists develop the cell theory?
(1.) light microscope
(2.) ultracentrifuge
(3.) electron microscope
(4.) microdissecting apparatus
___ 15. The invention of the compound light microscope
enabled scientists to observe cells, helping them to
(1.) determine the number of atoms in a molecule
(2.) discover a basic similarity among organisms
(3.) study the behavior of chordates
(4.) develop techniques for growing plants in a laboratory
___ 16. A student calculated the diameter of the high-power
field of a compound light microscope to be 0.5 millimeter. If 10
plant cells fit end to end across the diameter of the high-power
field, the average length of each plant cell would be
(1.) 50 µm
(2.) 5 mm
(3.) 200 µm
(4.) 20 mm
(4.) 100X
17. Complete the measurement of each item.
Item
Volume in Graduated Cylinders
1
2
3
4
Length of Leaf A
Measurement
Conversion
mL
mL
mL
mL
cm
L
L
L
L
mm
MATCHING QUESTTONS
From the list below, select the term that best fits each of the following descriptions. Each term may be used
more than once, but there is only one correct answer for each question.
a. differentiation
b. growth
c. assimilation
d. regulation
e. egestion
f. homeostasis
g. transport
h. transpiration
i. reproduction
j. respiration
k. metabolism
l. synthesis
___ 1. incorporation of materials into the body
___ 2. specialization of cells
___ 3. stabilized internal environment
___ 4. sum of all chemical reactions occurring within cells
___ 5. formation of complex substances from simple ones
___ 6. discharge of undigested material from the digestive tract
___ 7. function of the circulatory system
___ 8. increase in the size and/or number of cells
___ 9. movement of substances from the roots to the leaves
___ 10. process that in animals is accomplished by the nervous, endocrine, and excretory systems
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTTONS
___ 11. Biology is the study of
a. animals only
b. small living things only
c. plants
d. all living things
___ 12. Viruses are examples of
a. nonliving particles
b. living organisms
c. types of bacteria
d. difficult things to classify
___ 13. Which of the following is NOT a
characteristic of organisms?
a. reproduction
c. growth
b. unlimited size
d. energy use
___ 14. Substances that organisms obtain from the
environment and repair, or maintenance are called
a. cells
b. seeds
c. nutrients
d. hormones
___ 15. One of the most remarkable aspects of
biology is NOT the diversity of life but its
a. fragility
b. smallness
c. uniqueness
d. unity
___ 16. The elimination of waste substances from an
organism is called
a. metabolism
c. growth
b. excretion
d. osmosis
___ 17. Which of the following systems uses
hormones as chemical messengers?
a. nervous
c. excretion
b. skeletal
d. endocrine
___ 18. The release of chemical energy is called
a. transpiration
c. respiration
b. assimilation
d. anabolism
___ 19. One distinction between growth in plants and
animals is that
a. only animals increase in size
b. only animal cells increase in number
c. only plants have the ability to grow indefinitely
d. only plant cells become specialized
___ 20. Which of the following systems is NOT
found in a plant?
a. nervous
c. endocrine
b. excretion
d. transport
___ 21. Which of the following statements is TRUE
for respiration?
a. Respiration involves one simple reaction.
b. Sugar is the only food substance that is broken
down.
c. Some organisms can respire without breaking
down food.
d. Organisms cannot survive without a constant
supply of energy
___ 22. The process of differentiation is the
a. specialization of cells for specific functions
b. regulation o{ a constant internal environment
c. incorporation of new materials into an organism
d. reproduction between identical parents
___ 23. Growth, reproduction, and nutrition are all
examples of
a. organisms
c. organ systems
b. life processes
d. cells
___ 24. Which organisms have the ability to make
their own food?
I. green plants
II. bacteria
III. animals
a) I only
c) I and II only
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
In one or two complete sentences, answer the following questions.
25. What are the differences between sexual and asexual reproduction?
26. What is the relationship between respiration and nutrients?
27. What are the two basic types of nutrition?
b) II only
d) I, II, and III